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A bat found inside a New Canaan home that tested positive for rabies is one of six bats that have been captured inside town residences since July 1.

The residents of the Tommys Lane home where the bat was found in a bedroom, have been advised to receive a series of rabies shots, said New Canaan Police Animal Control Officer Allyson Halm.

"Shots are a must," Halm said. "You never know if you have been bitten or exposed to saliva from the bat. It's like a spider bite, you might receive one and not even realize it, especially while asleep."

The other five bats found tested negative for the disease, Halm said.

Residents who find bats in their homes are urged to call an "ethical" nuisance wildlife company to remove the animal who is then brought to the police department which will then send it to the state to be tested.

Halm said bats are especially important to the environment by eating insects including mosquitoes and bugs, but they are susceptible to rabies, she added.

She suggests that residents hang bat houses high outside their home to offer a place for bats to nests instead of inside homes, especially attics.

Bats are active at dusk and can enter homes chasing bugs through chimneys and the flue and as well as open windows and doors.

Household pets should also be protected from bats by being kept up-to-date on their vaccinations.

Since January, there have been 25 bats captured in New Canaan with three testing positive for rabies.